1
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
faced with the toilsome task of cleaning out her deceased father's homestead
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2
as in challenging
requiring much time, effort, or careful attention
this is the most toilsome part of the construction, so we'll go slowly to make sure we're doing it right
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Recent Examples of toilsome
Meanwhile, Republicans lacked the votes to pass anything so their amendments tended to be trollish and toilsome fliers meant to either own the libs or just annoy the legislators.
—
Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022
But as these commemorations advance these important discussions, another more toilsome question continues to unfold in the background: What will happen to those who actually participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol?
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 8 Jan. 2022
Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.
—Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
Matt Ford, The New Republic, 9 Aug. 2022
But as these commemorations advance these important discussions, another more toilsome question continues to unfold in the background: What will happen to those who actually participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol?
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 8 Jan. 2022
Though the third quarter was significantly better for Netflix than its previous quarter, the company signaled that there could be toilsome times ahead.
—Natalie Jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toilsome
Adjective
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Simplifying Complexity Through Narratives Leaders often need to communicate complex strategies or concepts, which can be difficult for teams to fully grasp.—
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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The emotional weight of losing that independence is difficult to quantify, but its impact is profound.—
John Hope Bryant,
TIME,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Finding a way to relax and take your mind off football can be challenging, but Colwill uses Lego to unwind.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
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That realization reinforced for me the importance of breaking stereotypes about introverts and challenging misconceptions.—
Kendra MacDonald,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Kings hadn’t played since their double-overtime win over the Miami Heat on Monday, leaving three days between games, which likely would have meant at least one rigorous practice with Brown at the helm.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacramento Bee,
11 Jan. 2025
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Truth, in this sense, is sought and rendered, something produced by rigorous inquiry and informed consideration rather than something discovered.—
Fergus McIntosh,
The New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Two of the judges on the D.C. Circuit applied strict scrutiny, the highest and most demanding form of judicial review, and said the government satisfied that standard.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2025
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Consumers are more demanding than ever, seeking true desirability, hyper-personalization, sustainability and seamless omnichannel experiences.—
Jill Standish,
Forbes,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Bengals are going to have a tough time bringing the free agent back at just age 26 and after coming off his finest season yet.—
Brandon Funston,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
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Households are currently seeing significant reductions in their monthly electricity usage, resulting in cost savings—a big relief, especially in tough economic times.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA TODAY,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Even those with full, traditional coverage face an arduous claims process to receive full benefits from an industry known for low-balling policyholders.—
Carmen Balber,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2025
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Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, cautioned that finding common ground with Kelly on reform may still be an arduous process.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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Securing partnerships with such massive players is at best laborious.—
Jamil Wyne,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
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Among the reasons why Hollywood execs have pointed to VFX as an area AI can be adopted revolves around the laborious nature of the work.—
Winston Cho,
The Hollywood Reporter,
14 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near toilsome
Cite this Entry
“Toilsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toilsome. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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